New Georgia brewery alert! We’re getting a lot of them lately. Actually, Gate City isn’t all that new; they claim they were founded in 2013, though I’m not sure when they first started packaging and selling their beer. I’ve heard about them before, but I am only seeing their beers in growler shops and beer bars now. Although Gate City is located in Roswell, they explain thusly on their website that their name is rooted in neighboring Atlanta’s historical moniker as the “Gate City of the New South”.

The first Gate City beer I’ve enjoyed is their Copperhead Amber Ale. This is a hoppy American amber ale, and I picked up a grower of it at Stout’s here in Canton. Shortly thereafter, I tried the lovely Terminus Porter at Taco Mac, but that’s getting ahead of myself. Let’s delve into the Copperhead Amber for now, shall we?

From the brewery website:

Copperhead is a wonderfully balanced and visually arresting beer. This American amber hybrid pairs a nice malt body with the perfect amount of Northwest hops. It finishes with an amazing copper color and an ABV measuring at 5.2%.  Copperhead modernizes a traditionally West Coast style, making it appealing to a variety of palates. With a crisp, refreshing flavor and smooth finish, Copperhead is a perfect choice for all seasons.

So, there you go. I paid $7.75 for a 32-ounce growler of Gate City Copperhead Amber Ale, a nice price for a lovely quaffable beer! In case you didn’t know, the beer is named for the infamous copperhead snake, common in Georgia and much of the south. I’ve seen them out on the Chattahoochee and Etowah rivers. I like the beer better than the snakes.

Gate City Copperhead Amber Ale pours to a beautiful dark russet color with a thick foamy head from a Fizzics system pour and a luscious stewed malt nose hinting at berries and toasted malts. Taking a sip, the beer has more of those same juicy malt flavors with the very subtlest roasty notes, more berries and dry toast. The beer bursts with fresh malty goodness and just for good measure, is punctuated with slightly grassy, quite bitter herbal notes at the last.

A fantastic amber ale, worthy of a full 5 stars in my book, both hedonistically and stylistically. It was incredibly easy to drink and I polished off my growler post haste with much relish and alacrity.  

And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.

*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.

(B)=Bottled

(D)=Draft

(G)=Growler

 

 



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